Naseeb Kaur Bhangal, M.Ed. (she, her, hers) is currently a second-year doctoral student in the Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education Ph.D. program at Michigan State University (MSU), where she is a recipient of the prestigious University Enrichment Fellowship. Naseeb’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is presently reflected in her collaborative research projects, explicitly tracing political coalitions among Womxn of Color and addressing anti-Blackness among non-Black people of color (NBPOC) in higher education. Before MSU, Naseeb, originally a West Coast native, lived in Chicago for five years and worked as a Student Affairs professional responsible for DEI and race-based initiatives for students and colleagues at Loyola University Chicago and, later, Northeastern Illinois University. Naseeb has employed storytelling and visual narrative methods in her teaching with undergraduate and graduate students, her college-access collaborations with Chicago Public Schools and non-profits, and in her retreat-work for self-identifying Womxn of Color students. Naseeb is a proud child of immigrants and equally proud Queer Desi Womxn of Color. Naseeb looks forward to detailing her experiences with running Ramblers Analyzing Whiteness (R.A.W.), an anti-racist, anti-supremacist white affinity program for students, and hopes to guide the audience with envisioning and developing a white affinity program at […]
Amy has led the St. Joseph’s College Online team from the launch of the online campus in 2015 with less than 100 students to a campus of over 500 students today. Beyond leading her own team, her responsibilities include working collaboratively with marketing, enrollment management, informational technology, and academics to deliver high-quality online courses and programs for all students across the three campuses. She has worked in higher education for over 15 years in both private and public colleges. As a faculty member, she has served on and led a number of academic committees, advised student groups on campus, and presented to student leaders on topics from becoming social media content creators to honing leadership skills through classes and campus activities. She is an alum of the Institute for Emerging Leaders in Online Learning through the Online Learning Consortium and has previously completed the Master Teacher Workshop at Georgia State University. She has extensive experience in and outside of academics leading small teams to accomplish their best work and has been honored by the Long Island Business News as both One to Watch (2016) and Who’s Who (2019) in Education. On campus, she has been honored multiple times for her […]
Jennifer is dedicated to facilitating continuous improvement of teaching and learning organizations and is passionate about teaching anthropology along the way. Previously, she served as an academic chairperson, director of assessment, academic program director, and as a leader in student affairs. She has successfully supported campus communities to develop and maintain student-centered, equity-focused, and transformative practices to assure learning at the course, program, and organizational levels. She is a trained peer-reviewer for multiple federal agencies and credentialing organizations. Jennifer earned a Ph.D. in Anthropology and a Graduate Certificate in Medical Behavioral Sciences from the University of Kentucky. Jennifer is deeply committed to service and leadership. She currently serves as President for the Association of Feminist Anthropology (2017-2021) and Treasurer of the Society for Applied Anthropology (2012-2021). She is the 2019 recipient of the prestigious American Anthropological Association Gender Equity Award.
Martin received the M.S. degree in microelectronics from Slovak Technical University, Bratislava, Slovakia, and the Ph.D. degree in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada, in 1990 and 1998, respectively. Between 1998 and 2007, he was with the University of Alberta and the University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA. He joined University of Massachusetts Lowell, MA, USA, in 2007. Since 2011, he has been a Professor and the Chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of Massachusetts Lowell. In his role as Department Chair, he has been supporting University students in their pursuit of innovation and novel ideas to commercial success. He collaborates with several innovation centers and incubators in Massachusetts. Martin was named Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Electrical Engineering for the 2015-2016 year. In this role, he helped to organize several workshops in the Central Europe region on Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Academia and best practices in technology transfer and early start-up development. He is a senior member of professional societies such as IEEE (Computer, Circuits and Systems, Solid-State Circuits Societies), ACM (SIGHPC) and SPIE, and a member of AAAS and ASEE. He has authored and co-authored more than 250 publications in […]
Ronn is a highly experienced professional who has successfully implemented shared services in higher education (University of Chicago & Yale University) and state government (State of Ohio). He is currently leading the effort to continuously improve processes and drive business transformation within and outside the shared services organization through the use of data, and a focus on people, process improvement and technology.
Charleon has spent the last 18 years dedicated to improving and responding to issues of equity, inclusion, and justice at Penn State University. She is the inaugural Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) for Penn State’s Division Development of Alumni Relations (DDAR). In her role, she works directly with the Vice-President for DDAR in establishing and executing the Division’s strategic priorities for DE&I. Prior to joining the Division in May of 2018, Charleon spent five years as the lead diversity educator for Penn State’s faculty and staff across the Commonwealth, and 11 years of progressively more significant roles in the College of Education’s Office of Multicultural Programs. In addition, she is a member of the Penn State Presidential Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity and other University task forces. Charleon brings a deep theoretical understanding of concepts related to systemic oppression, equity, inclusion, intercultural awareness and humility, workplace culture, and change leadership. Charleon is a sought-after consultant and trainer who has worked with school districts, business leaders, non-profits, and community-based organizations. Charleon’s work is rooted in building business strategy for equity, inclusion, and belonging. Her work is aimed at diminishing the impact of, structural and systemic racism, unconscious bias, […]
Kate Harrison has built a superior portfolio of donor stewardship work over a decade in Higher Education and now with the nation’s number one cancer center. This includes launching award-winning volunteer programs, crafting bespoke donor engagements, and executing spectacular events and milestone celebrations. Kate believes that collaboration and a donor-centric mindset are the keys to success, whether it’s entertaining thousands of alumni at Rice University’s 2012 Centennial Celebration, spearheading a newly formed donor relations team at The University of Texas at Austin, or preparing for transformational comprehensive campaigns. She believes that there are many opportunities to steward donors and thank them along their giving journey, and that institutions have a golden opportunity to show the real and lasting impact of philanthropy. At the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Kate leads a team of fantastic donor relations professionals who steward endowments, recognitions and namings, impact reporting and principal/transformational gifts. Kate is an alumnus of Baylor University.
Alexis helps people maximize their potential to achieve organizational priorities. She believes people should be engaged by their work and have the opportunity for continuous growth and development. Her responsibilities include shaping the overarching strategy for talent management, coaching leaders and supervisors, and designing training and professional development programs for more than 250 staff. During her 20+ years of experience in higher education, Alexis has delivered educational experiences to hundreds of staff and students, led award-winning diversity and inclusion initiatives, and started two talent management departments. She is the founder of the Amplify Women and Gender Initiative, a professional development program for women in Advancement, and AKO Collective, a women’s leadership development company that offers training to women and girls. Alexis presents internationally on topics of gender inclusion and equity, including as a TEDx Speaker. Alexis holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational studies from the University of Michigan, a master’s degree in college student personnel from Bowling Green State University, and a certificate in organization development from Colorado State University. She is a certified StrengthsQuest Educator and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Practitioner.
Diana is a social impact consultant and agent of global change. She is a celebrated thought leader, teacher, writer, and speaker with extensive research experience. Inspired to “do more good in the world,” she builds and strengthens non-profit organizations through the transformative power of philanthropy and trains women as leaders in the realms of higher education, faith-based, and cultural organizations. Diana is credited as being a strategic thinker, maverick fundraiser, and dynamic speaker with awards in leadership, fundraising, and donor stewardship. Inspirational and innovative, Diana speaks on issues related to women in leadership, diversity and inclusion, major gifts and Giving Days. She tackles projects with a balance of grace, grit, and gravitas.
Rebecca is a well-known expert in higher education, leadership, and organizational transformation. She has coached and mentored dozens of university presidents, vice presidents, deans, and boards, helping them to realize professional, cultural, and structural change. Rebecca has served as Chancellor at the University of Denver, and as President of Swarthmore College and Colgate University. She is the co-founder of Strategic Positioning Associates. Rebecca’s administrative career began in 1998, with her appointment as Provost of Emory University, and thereafter she served as Dean of the Yale University Divinity School. She has served on the boards of the American Council of Education, the American Association of Colleges and Universities, and the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In addition to her consulting work, Rebecca is a popular speaker on transformation and higher education. She is a scholar of higher education and religion and change in America and is the author of seven books and more than 60 articles. She is the co-editor of Remaking College: Innovation and the Liberal Arts.
